A Contrast in Classes
by Meyx
Summary: Rachel Berry is the daughter of an upper class English man in the late 1800s. Noah Puckerman is the groundskeeper. Will the contrast in their social classes be too big of a gap to bridge? Puckleberry with a side of Finntana, rating subject to change.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **So this is my first ever long running Puckleberry fic. I have no idea how long it will be and I'm kind of scared to undertake it but this damn prompt won't leave me alone! I'd like to dedicate this first chapter and the whole fic in general to noahpuckermanandrachelberry . tumblr . com (enter without spaces to get to her tumblr page), aka Rachel, the lovely lady who gave me this prompt.

This is a Puckleberry fic with a side of Finntana, and splashes of other different pairings on glee that you'll have to wait and see to find out! If you ship Finchel this is _not_ for you. You have been warned. This is also set in the late 1800s, so it is a period fanfiction. Again, you have been warned.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Glee, Noah Puckerman, Rachel Berry, Santana Lopez, Finn Hudson, etc. etc. This is a FANfiction, so the plotline is my own but the characters are not.

Without further ado, I give you _"A Contrast in Classes"_

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Rachel sucked in a deep breath as her maid placed a foot on her back to gain leverage to pull Rachel's corset strings tighter. The tiny brunette gasped as the maid tied the strings, leaving her barely able to breathe, but with a waist to die for. She controlled her breathing quickly, thanking god for the singing training her father had insisted putting her through, and then smiled at her maid.

"Thank you, Santana, for making me look presentable." Rachel grinned devilishly, this being a game she and Santana had played ever since the Berry's had hired the Spanish girl.

Santana grinned back just as devilishly, the smirk giving her dark eyes a wicked gleam. "Oh Miss Berry, you don't need my help to look presentable." She curtsied deeply, and Rachel burst into giggles, hiding them behind a hand.

Santana started laughing then, pointing to Rachel. "I won! You laughed, I win!" Rachel continued to giggle, moving to pull out her stockings from a dresser drawer as Santana kept talking to her. "Really, though, Rachel, you don't need my help. I don't know why your father makes you bother with all of this." Santana gestured vaguely at the cosmetics and clothing on Rachel's vanity. "You know he doesn't really care what you wear."

Rachel smiled, bemused, and rolled on her stockings calmly. "San, you know daddy just does it to please my grandmother." She finished pulling the fabric up her legs, moving to pull on her hoop skirt and petticoats, which Santana helped her with, before pulling the huge dress she was expected to greet her maternal grandmother in over her head. "It's not like I dress like this every day." Rachel finished, holding her hair up while Santana buttoned up the dress quickly and efficiently.

Santana laughed at that, sitting Rachel down to do her hair for her, twisting it up easily and pinning it in place. Rachel made a face at her reflection, hating the way she looked with her hair pulled back so tightly. She felt like it made her nose look bigger, which made her self conscious. She didn't think she was pretty, or at least, not as pretty as other young women her age. Her skin was olive toned, not porcelain white like Brittany Pierce's, and she had been cursed with her father's Jewish nose. Her eyes were dark brown, nothing special, and her hair matched in color. She was tiny, barely reaching her father's shoulder when wearing her heeled shoes, and her one saving grace (in her eyes) was the fact that she was thin, with legs that went on for miles, despite her diminutive height. It was a shame that society deemed it inappropriate for any of her potential suitors to see anything more than her arms or some suggestive cleavage, maybe - if she was feeling shocking - an ankle. And ever since her father had hired Santana, Rachel's urge to shock had gone up considerably. The Spanish girl was nothing if not outrageous.

Santana, for her part, thought Rachel was beautiful, and was sad that her friend and employer couldn't see it. She enjoyed being able to talk to the Jewish girl alone, when she wasn't trying to please everyone, as she let her walls come down then, and was a lot of fun. She sang loudly, she danced in her slip, and she gossiped like an old biddy. Santana loved it. She had never had such a wonderful job before the Berry household had hired her, and she couldn't imagine working for anyone else. Partly because the pay was good, partly because she adored being friends with Rachel, and partly because her best friend worked on the grounds, and she could see him almost whenever she wanted.

Santana listened idly to Rachel prattle about how huge her nose was as she dusted powder on her face and resisted the desire to shake the tiny brunette in front of her. She was thankful when there was a knock on the door, and Sarah, Rachel's younger sister, toddled in.

"Rachel, Grandmother is expected to arrive soon and Papa wants you in the study." The five year old said, stumbling over the big words. Rachel's eyes lit up as her sister spoke, grinning broadly at Santana in the mirror, then hurried over and swooped the little girl into a hug.

Sarah squealed with laughter, hugging her older sister tightly before being set back down on the floor and smiling up at Rachel. Santana smiled at the sisters, leaning over to kiss the top of Sarah's head, and then straightened out Rachel's dress, which she had mussed when she had spun the little girl around. The older girls sent Sarah to tell Mr. Berry that Rachel would be downstairs soon, and then Rachel turned to Santana with a sudden light in her eyes, as if she had just remembered something.

"Oh! San, can you do me a favor?" She asked, looking through one of her drawers quickly before pulling out a letter triumphantly, moving to her desk and pouring wax on the seam to seal it, pressing the stamp with her seal on the hot wax. When she pulled it off, she smiled at the monogrammed RB with the songbird flying through the top of the R that was now embedded in the wax.

Rachel let it cool for a second, then handed it to Santana, motioning towards the taller girl's apron pocket. "You're going to see Finn today, aren't you?" Santana blushed at that, trying to shake her head, not wanting to seem unprofessional suddenly, but Rachel laughed, waving her off. "Finn knows I know, San. Give that to him, please? My father has officially rejected his suit and he'll be receiving a notice soon, but I wanted to let him know first." Rachel grinned at that. "Which means he'll be free to move on to court you, San." She raised her eyebrows suggestively.

Santana and Finn had been dancing around each other for a whole month and a half earlier that year, when he had first been introduced to Rachel. His mother had been hoping for a match with him and the young Berry heiress, but it had been clear from the get go that they had no chemistry whatsoever. Rachel had liked Finn though, and they became fast friends. Santana, meanwhile, hadn't been able to take her eyes off the bumbling and adorable boy, who was too tall and had no idea what to do with himself half the time. It was love at first sight, or as close to love as Santana ever felt. Finn, for his part, hadn't been able to stop thinking about the exotic maid who had been serving food and drink to the two young people and their chaperones. He hadn't missed the way she and Rachel had winked at one another when they thought no one was looking, nor the way she had stared at him for a good minute before realizing he was watching her. She had blushed a dark red and he had smiled, trying not to blush as well but failing pretty miserably. It was all over for him then.

Rachel had noticed on the second meeting, when Santana had lurked in the back of the room, filling glasses with ice a little too slowly, arranging things on the plates more carefully than usual. Finn kept glancing at the Spanish girl, and Rachel pieced two and two together quickly, smirking at both of them mischievously and feeling an idea come to her. She had taken a walk with Finn later and conveniently forgotten to get her wrap. When she realized it, Santana had turned to go back inside and get it, but Rachel had beaten her to the door. When she came back out five minutes later, Finn was smiling, Santana was laughing, and the rest was history.

They had been seeing each other for over three months now, after the month and a half of Rachel pushing them together at every opportunity. Now that she had convinced her father to drop Finn's suit and intentions towards Rachel, it gave Finn the perfect excuse to start courting San properly, which would lead to marriage, sooner or later. Finn's mother was understanding, and his father adored him and knew his son would never do something without thinking it through. His logic might not have been the most sound, but Rachel knew he was in love with Santana and wanted to be with her. She was excited for both of them now that they could move forward.

Santana's eyes lit up and she grabbed the envelope, kissing Rachel's cheek quickly so as not to muss her dress, and then grinned. "Rachel, you have no idea what this means to me!"

Rachel laughed, sweeping past Santana and heading for the door. "Believe me, San, I do. I'll see you this afternoon, won't I?" Santana nodded, rolling her eyes as she tucked the letter into her apron and let her hair out of the low bun it had been in all morning, letting it fall over her shoulders.

"Of course you will, Rachel, I'll be back as soon as your spawn of the devil grandmother leaves. I'll tell Finn you said hello." She smirked and followed Rachel out of the room, detouring to take the back stairs, waving at her friend over her shoulder before leaving the house. She ran lightly across the back grounds, heading for the gardener's workshop/greenhouse that was near the back, arriving there in moments, and looked around quickly before heading inside.

Santana looked around again, her eyes lighting on a young man near the back, who was picking up a shovel and hefting it over his shoulder easily, his back and arm muscles rippling. She waited for him to turn, laughing loudly at the way he jumped and swore crudely upon seeing her, running a hand over his hair, which was shaved close to the scalp.

"Damn it, San, warn a guy next time, okay? There's a reason people knock." He said, his voice rough. She just rolled her eyes at him, smiling.

"Hey Puckerman. I have something for you." She reached into her apron and pulled out a gold coin, tossing it at him, watching his eyes widen when he caught it and saw what it was. Before he could ask, she smiled sheepishly. "I owe you one for getting Finn to talk to me back when he was stranded with me in the garden. He's..." She smiled again, pure happiness lighting up her features. "His courtship of Rachel has been nullified. I'm on my way to see him now. So thanks again, Puckerman." Her expression shifted back into her trademark smirk. "Try not to use that on a whore tonight...at least...not a cheap one." She left quickly, laughing as he swore at her again, then grinned when he called out his thanks. She turned back around quickly, watching him pocket the money carefully and then continued to get back to his work.

Santana had known Noah Puckerman for as long as she could remember, and they had been best friends from the time she could walk. He was like a brother to her, and he had been instrumental in getting Finn to talk to her the first time. Noah and Finn had been friends for a while; they had met in a bar one night when Finn was feeling low, and Noah had kept the pickpockets away from him. His act of kindness (which he would readily admit was rare for him) had landed him a friendship with Finn Hudson, who had gotten him the job on the Berry household's grounds. He was now able to support his mother and his younger sister, and he was beyond grateful to Finn for giving him this opportunity, but his association with the upper class man had done nothing to improve his rough and tumble attitude. He was still as much of a jerk as he had been when he and Santana were children, but he had a soft side that she thought was adorable when he was with her and Finn.

As Santana watched Noah get to work on one section of the garden, thinking about how she wouldn't be this happy right now if it weren't for Finn, Noah, and Rachel, she realized that Rachel had never met Noah. She was mildly surprised at that, as Rachel and Finn were good friends, and she and Rachel were best friends, and it just seemed to Santana that if Rachel and Noah had been the ones to bring her and Finn together, maybe they should meet. The protective part of her balked at the idea of introducing her naive and innocent friend to her selfish and rough, womanizing friend, but the longer she thought about it the more sense it made. She headed off the grounds quickly and made her way to the Hudson residence, just a few blocks away from the Berry household, and formulated a plan as she went. Maybe nothing would come of it, but at the very least, she wouldn't have to lie to Rachel about where she was going when she left early to go to a bar with Noah, and maybe this would get Rachel out of the house more often, as now she would have someone to talk to in the gardens.

Smiling to herself, pleased with the idea, Santana made her way to the back entrance of Finn's house, knocking on the kitchen door and waiting for someone to let her in so she could deliver him the good news.

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Thank you so much for reading! Please review, let me know if you have any requests or comments!

xoxo,

Meyx


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Thank you so so SO much for your support! I'm really enjoying this fic so far, so I'm glad to know you all are, too :)

**Jsct: **Thank you so much! There's a lot more too it, and you start to see some of it in this chapter. I hope you enjoy it! :)

**You'll Get Wrinkles Like That: **Thanks, I'm glad you liked it! :)

**ajak716: **Thank you, I thought so too! I'm so glad I got this prompt, it's different but not _too_ different..I like it. I'll do my best to put up a chapter every other week at least, so don't worry! :)

**IheartTV 'tv-luvin-hottie': **Thank you! I'm glad you thought it was well written, honestly, I was worried about that. This is definitely out of my comfort zone. And I'm glad you liked that about it. I was worried that people would want them together right away, but I think it's much better to have a slow build up. I hop you like the new chapter :)

So, for this chapter, the only thing to keep in mind is that italic paragraphs are flashbacks. This will remain true for the whole story, so remember that. Now, because you don't care about my rambling, without further ado, here's chapter two of _A Contrast in Classes_

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Noah Puckerman walked across the grounds to the main gardens, hefting his toolbox higher on his shoulder. He was sweating pretty heavily now, and was thankful he was almost done for the day. The sun would be setting soon, and then he could go home. He could bathe and then talk to his sister for the first time that day. His mother would be happy to see him, as he hadn't been home much the past few days. His sister's birthday was coming up soon, so he was working for the Berry family more often so he could get her a new dress.

He finished pulling weeds and set about disturbing the soil with his hand held rake to make it easier to plant flowers tomorrow, thinking as he worked. He thought about Santana, his childhood best friend, and the way she had thanked him earlier. Noah had never seen her so happy and soft. Her expression had been open and downright vulnerable, and it had shocked him. Ever since they were children, Santana had never let her guard down the way she had let it down with Finn. She was honestly happy now, and Noah was happy for her. Jealous and kind of pissed that his other friend was taking up most of her time, when she wasn't with his boss' daughter, but happy. He thought back to how awkward Finn had been around Santana when they first talked, and how he had felt the need to step in.

_Noah watched Finn and Santana stand there awkwardly. The tiny brunette with her hair loose had just ran back inside the main house, for what, Noah wasn't sure. He assumed the girl was Rachel, his boss' oldest daughter, as she had been arm in arm with Finn, and Noah knew the Hudson's had started the courtship towards the Berry's. He watched as Finn rubbed the back of his neck and Santana shifted her weight from foot to foot, his eyes narrowing as he watched them. Son of a bitch, he thought. His two best friends were standing there and he wasn't sure what was going through Santana's mind, but it was clear she wasn't acting normal. And...was Finn blushing? This was worse than he thought._

_He made his way over there quickly, greeting Finn familiarly, which seemed to surprise Santana, and then turned and gave her the same greeting, which seemed to surprise Finn. Noah smirked as the two looked at one another and him, asking simultaneously, "How do you know each other?" _

_He explained quickly to Finn that he had grown up with Santana and that the Spanish girl was like a sister to him. Then he told San that Finn had been the one who had gotten him the job here, and Santana's eyes lit up. She turned to Finn and said, in an excited tone Noah had only heard her use twice before, "You got him this job?" _

_Finn blushed again and Noah inwardly rolled his eyes at his friend. He couldn't be more obvious if he tried. Soon enough, the tiny brunette, Miss Berry, came back outside, and Noah made excuses to leave. He hadn't been much of a part of the conversation, but he didn't want his boss' daughter to think he was slacking off of work. Santana mouthed a quick "Thank you" over her shoulder when he said his goodbyes, and Noah had blinked in surprise. Santana never said thank you. Not to him, at least. They were above that with one another. _

He hadn't realized then how much Finn would come to mean to her.

The next few weeks had been spent prodding her to talk to Finn when he came over to visit Rachel, and then the few weeks after that were spent prodding Finn when they met after work. Noah was scared of Santana and when she had told him that she needed his help with Finn he hadn't hesitated. He was too fond of the family jewels to do something as stupid as hesitate when Santana asked...no, demanded help.

When it became clear that Finn was in love with Santana, Noah had washed his hands of the matter. He didn't get involved in love, even when it had nothing to do with him. Santana had yelled at him for that, because he had started to pull away from Finn. She cornered him at his house one night and pulled him outside so his little sister wouldn't hear "Aunty San" as she called her, yell at Noah. Santana had raged at him, cursing him out in flowing Spanish and then switching effortlessly back to English to tell him how stupid he was for throwing away a friendship simply because they were happy. Noah hadn't backed down, and Santana wouldn't talk to him for weeks after that.

Finally, she had pulled him aside one day when he was working and cornered him once again.

_"Shouldn't you be working?" He scoffed at her. He knew her job meant as much to her as his did to him, and he was surprised she'd be endangering it by leaving in the middle of the day just to yell at him again._

_"Rachel's having lunch with her father today, I have a free hour." Santana said, her familiarity with Mr. Berry's daughter never ceasing to amaze Noah. She talked about Rachel like a friend, not an employer._

_"What do you want, San?" Noah asked tiredly. "I have to go back to work and I don't want your crazy Spanish swear words to reach my boss' ears. You know how much I need this job." He said, bringing up the guilt trip on purpose._

_Santana sighed, pulling on her apron to make sure it was hanging straight, and then told him, "Look, Puck, I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to scream at you the other night, but I couldn't get why you were being so pigheaded. But I get it now." She looked up at him, biting her lip. "This isn't going to turn out like Quinn, okay? I know you're still bitter and hurt but this has nothing to do with that."_

_She left then, leaving him standing there shocked that Santana had apologized, then angry that she had brought up Quinn. _

After that, it had been his turn to avoid her for weeks, and she had retreated into the main house with Miss Berry. They hadn't called a truce until Finn came over one day on the pretext of visiting Rachel, then came out and talked to him while he was weeding the main gardens. He had apologized to Noah, something Noah hadn't been expecting.

_"Look, Puck, I don't know what your problem is but I'm sorry." Finn told him, running a hand through his hair nervously. Noah knew Mrs. Hudson would give him hell for that later. "But the truth is, I really like Santana. And I'm really grateful that you gave me that opening to talk to her, even if you didn't mean to or realize it. I really do like her, and I'm sorry if you think I'm trying to take her away from you or something, but I want to marry her."_

_Noah dropped his trowel at that, almost slicing open his hand, and swore loudly, pulling his hands to his chest quickly. "What?" He yelled, not meaning to raise his voice, but caught off guard by the idea of Santana ever getting married. He didn't have feelings for the girl like that but still, Santana?_

_Finn glared at him, a little confused. "Don't do that, Puck, you could get in trouble if someone heard you, you know that." He said, berating the other guy for swearing, then sighed. "I'm sorry, Puck, but it's the truth. As soon as Rach and I get our parents to nullify the courtship I'm asking Santana to marry me. I..." he hesitated, his voice going soft. "I'm in love with her. And I'm sorry if you can't see that or understand that, but I don't mean any harm to you or her. I just want my friend back, Puck." He said pleadingly, and Noah had rolled his eyes._

_"Shit, Finn, you know I can't say no when you do that. You're such a girl sometimes." He said, trying not to show any emotion. "But...I'm sorry too. I was being a jerk. I'll apologize to San later." Noah told him, and Finn smiled._

_"Thank you. I appreciate it." The taller man said, then headed back into the main house._

Noah finished the last of the soil, then smiled when he realized it meant he was done for the day. He stood up and stretched, his back aching from being hunched over all day, and then packed up his gardening tools, taking them back to the shed. He put them all away and then grabbed his coat, shrugging into it and waving good bye to the head gardener, who waved back with a grin. Noah left the shed through the greenhouse entrance, then plucked a yellow daisy from a nearby bush, his hands twisting the stem quickly to make a clean break. Then he found a white one and did the same thing, heading back to the main gardens, where a little girl was spinning around, her dress nice and her feet bare. She had long dark brown hair and eyes that were sparkling with laughter. When she saw him approach, she stopped spinning, breathless, and grinned broadly.

"Puck!" She called out in a high pitched voice, running to hug him. He smiled at the girl, bending down to pick her up and then throw her in the air effortlessly, catching her just as easily.

She squealed with laughter, and he chuckled in response, setting her down and bowing deeply on one knee, holding out the yellow daisy to her. She smiled brightly, taking it and smelling it. "Thanks, Puck." She said, still smiling. Then she caught sight of the white one. "Who's that one for?" She asked innocently.

"You're welcome, Sarah. And this one's for my sister." He said, tucking it behind his ear to make her giggle.

"Only girls wear flowers like that!" She said, and he smiled at her, feigning surprise before pulling it out from behind his ear.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" He said, holding it in his hand. "Is this better?" He asked her, and she nodded with authority.

"Much."

Noah smiled at the little girl again. "I have to go, Sarah, Abigail's waiting for me. I'm glad you liked the flower."

Sarah smiled back at him. "Thanks Puck! When are you going to bring Abigail here so I can play with her?"

Noah got up and twisted the flower between his fingers. "Soon," he said, and then waved at her before leaving. He walked home in silence, still smiling from his encounter with Sarah Berry. The girl had been talking to him for months, as he was usually in the garden during the day, and she liked to run around and play on the grass. She had no sense of shyness, and had struck up a conversation one day. She reminded him of his own little sister, Abigail, and he had quickly developed a soft spot for her.

Wrapped up in thoughts of the two young girls, he didn't notice when Santana fell into step beside him until she spoke. "I have a proposition for you."

He swore and jumped a little, glaring at her. "No."

"But you haven't even hea-" "No."

Santana glared at him. "Seriously, Puck, hear me out." He shook his head and raised an eyebrow at her.

"I don't trust you when you use big words like 'proposition.' Whatever it is, San, count me out." Noah told her, and she stopped, still glaring. When he had rounded the corner, Finn crossed the street to stand next to her.

"Looks like it won't work...sorry San." He told her softly, but Santana shook her head, smirking wickedly at the street corner Noah had just disappeared around.

"I always have a back up plan, Finn. I gave him his chance. He turned me down. Time for plan B."

The next morning, Rachel woke up to the sound of Santana clattering around her bedroom. Blinking sleepily, the tiny brunette glared at her friend. "San, what are you doing?" She asked, her voice hoarse from sleep.

"Looking for your boots. Finn's going to stop by today with his parents to talk about the settlement of nullifying the courtship." Santana said, pulling out clothes for Rachel.

The brunette jumped up and got dressed quickly, excited to get this all over with. In the back of her mind, she wondered why the Hudson family was coming over so quickly, but she pushed it out of her head when Santana laced up her corset, focusing on breathing. When Rachel saw how low-cut the dress was, her suspicions started to grow again. Then San fixed her hair so barely any was pulled back, leaving most of it loose, the way Rachel liked it, and the brunette knew something was up. As she put on the earrings the Spanish girl gave her, Rachel raised an eyebrow.

"What's really going on, San?" Rachel asked, and Santana, to her credit, didn't even blink.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Rach." She said, turning to open the door for her friend, smoothing out the skirt of her dress as she went.

Sighing and deciding to trust her friend, Rachel followed her downstairs and out the back door, straight to the gazebo and surrounding garden. Confused, Rachel sat on a bench near the main lawn, tucking her ankles underneath her and folding her hands in her lap. Santana made an excuse about getting the Hudsons and Mr. Berry, and before Rachel could say anything, she was gone.

She sat in silence for a few minutes, watching a hummingbird to keep herself occupied, then heard someone approach. She turned her head, opening her mouth to tell Santana this wasn't funny, or to greet Mr. and Mrs. Hudson, but it wasn't her friend, nor was it Finn's parents. It was a tall young man, though not as tall as Finn, with his hair shaved close to the scalp, which was unusual for most men. He looked to be a little older than her, though by how much, Rachel wasn't sure. He was muscular, and his shirtsleeves were rolled up to his elbows. He had been sweating, she could see, and she realized he must work in the gardens. He glanced at her, and she could see his eyes were a beautiful hazel color. Her legs turned to jelly and she was grateful she was sitting down.

Noah, for his part, was staring at the tiny slip of a girl sitting on the bench. She was gorgeous. He couldn't get past how pretty she looked, her hair curling gently around her face and down her shoulders, her dark eyes wide. He met her gaze, wondering who she was, and then when they made eye contact, he blinked. She had Sarah's eyes. This had to be Rachel Berry. Swearing internally so as not to shock her, he realized what Santana had done. He was not getting involved in their little circle of friends. No way, not a chance. Finn was more than enough upper class in his life. He wouldn't fit into this world. Quinn had made that clear years ago.

Rachel blinked as the man in front of her frowned angrily. She wasn't sure who he was or what his problem is but she figured that since she was here and she had time to kill she could help him. She still hadn't put two and two together because Santana had never mentioned Noah to her before. She honestly had no idea who this boy was.

Rachel opened her mouth to say something when all of a sudden the irrigation sprinklers went off. Sitting on the bench so close to the main lawn made her a prime target for the water, and Noah fared no better, as he was standing right next to the grass. Within seconds, they were drenched, and before he knew what he was doing, Noah had grabbed her hand and was pulling her off the bench, running towards the gazebo. She followed without thinking, her long legs keeping pace with his despite the height difference, and they ran together, ducking their heads against the water that was spraying them. When they got to the gazebo, sheltered by the thick walls of the rose trellises that were on the outside, Rachel began to laugh. Noah turned to look at her like she was crazy, but then when he saw the way her hair curled a little more when it was wet and her eyes closed as she tilted her head back and laughed, he couldn't help but smile.

When her laughter subsided, Rachel kicked off her shoes to drain the water from them, then looked at the man in front of her. "I don't suppose you know how long the sprinklers will be on for?" She asked conversationally, as if she struck up conversations with the people who worked for her all the time. Then again, Noah realized as he thought of her friendship with Santana and the way her little sister was, she probably did.

"About an hour or so, if they're on the timer." He answered, and she sighed a little, her face resigned.

"Well, I guess we had better get comfortable then. I'm Rachel." She said, holding out her hand for him to shake, like a man would. Surprised, he took it, shaking her hand firmly.

"Puck." He said, and she cocked her head, confused.

"The spirit of mischief?" She asked, wrinkling her nose.

Noah blinked, confused. "It's a nickname. My full name is Noah Puckerman. Everyone's always just called me Puck."

Rachel smiled, releasing his hand. "Well, if it's all the same to you, I think I'll call you Noah."

He shrugged, not about to refuse the boss' daughter, though it was weird to hear someone other than his mother and his little sister call him Noah.

"Of course, Miss Berry." He said, and she began to laugh.

"Please, call me Rachel. Miss Berry sounds much too formal for two people stuck in a gazebo." She said, and he decided he liked her laugh. It was a little too loud and uncontrolled, compared to the way most girls of her age and social standing would giggle. Rachel laughed the way Santana laughed; free and full of amusement.

As the two started to talk, Santana and Finn watched from one of the windows in the main house, a smile on Finn's face and a satisfied smirk on Santana's.

"I knew this would work." Santana said, looking much too proud of herself, and Finn laughed.

He turned back to the window, still smiling, and watched as Rachel laughed, her head thrown back, before turning to Noah and saying something that made him blink, his jaw dropping, and then begin to laugh himself. Finn had rarely seen his friend look that happy, and Rachel seemed to be enjoying herself immensely as well. He'd been skeptical when Santana had told him her plan, but now, watching it unfold, he realized what a good idea it was.

The woman he loved was nothing if not deviously smart, and Finn couldn't wait to see how this played out.

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**As always, please review, I don't bite! Unless you're kinky like that ;) Thanks for reading!

xoxo,

Meyx


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Sorry I took so long with this one, the conversation was harder to write than I thought it would be. And I had to do a lot of research for some flower things that will be present here and coming up soon...Victorians took their flowers _very_ seriously.

**Shannon: **Thanks bb 33 Glad to know you enjoyed it :D

**Tommy: **Thank you so much! I'm glad :)

**alinah100:** So do I! And I'm really glad you think so! I have no plans to stop any time soon, so please don't cry! :)

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Rachel learned a lot of things about Noah in the hour they were stuck in the gazebo. She learned that he had been working for her family for almost a year and he was content. He had a little sister who he adored, and he and Santana had grown up together. He hated planting roses and he was overly critical of the roses on the gazebo.

"They're so hard to plant!" He complained to her as she laughed softly. "They are so...so...finicky!" He exclaimed, gesturing with his hands as he spoke. "You can't plant them in certain areas because there's not enough light, but over here, there's too much shade! There either isn't enough room for their roots or they have more than enough room to grow and then you get weeds all over the place. They are such a hassle."

Rachel giggled, looking at the roses on the gazebo. "I was never overly fond of red roses," she commented, touching one lightly. "I prefer pink and white ones, to be honest. They're beautiful to look at, but I think my favorites are the lilies on the side of the house." She turned, pointing with her outstretched hand, as was proper.

"The white ones?" He asked, following her gaze.

"Yes." She said, smiling a little. "I keep a bouquet of flowers in the house at all times, usually more than one. I frequent that side of the garden often in my quest for my flowers. The cala lilies are currently residing in my room." Rachel told him, smiling a bit more.

Noah wondered why he had never seen her much before if she was often over there, as the lilies she had been referring to were the ones he had planted originally. Blowing it off quickly, thinking that she must be out there when he worked in other sections, he nodded noncommittally.

The subject turned to Santana again, and Rachel could tell Noah held the girl in a high regard. Rachel expressed similar feelings, which seemed to surprise him. When they spoke of Santana's relationship with Finn, Rachel was surprisingly vocal, where Noah was oddly silent.

Finally, after a long moment of listening Rachel gush about how excited she was that the couple would be getting "a proper chance" soon, Noah held up a hand to stop her, confused. "Wait...you're supporting them?"

Rachel blinked at him, shocked. "Of course I am; Finn and Santana are my dearest friends. I wish them well and I am glad to see them so happy." She said calmly, studying him curiously. "Why...do you...not support them?"

Now it was Noah's turn to blink. "No, I do, actually, I'm just surprised that y-" He stopped, not wanting to insult the boss' daughter, not even indirectly.

"That I do?" Rachel asked, an amused smile gracing her features for a moment. "And what, pray tell, would make you believe that I would do anything other than support Finn and San?"

"I just figured that since you're part of the upper class, and so is Finn..." Noah said, thrown off by the familiar way Rachel used Santana's nickname. "That..." He blinked again. How was this girl able to make him speechless by doing nothing more than speaking to him and smiling a little?

"That I wouldn't support their romance, because Santana's part of a different social class?" Rachel finished for him, pacing slowly around the gazebo. "To be quite honest and frank...if I may be so bold," she said, looking over at him as if in permission to speak her mind. Noah was struck by how different their worlds were. She instantly deferred to the nearest man before saying her piece, whereas he knew Santana would simply say it. He wasn't sure what the upper class had against women but he knew he didn't like the unsure look in her eyes.

"Please, Miss Ber-" She glared at him and he backpedaled. "Rachel. Please, Rachel, be bold." He said, none of his normal lewdness in his tone, which surprised him.

She smiled her thanks and nodded, bowing her head a little as she resumed her pacing. "To be frank, I can not see the difference between the love Finn and Santana share, and the one my parents shared at our age. Both my mother and father were born to the upper class, as was Finn. Santana was not, but...she loves him." Rachel said earnestly. "And to me, that is what matters the most. I believe that in matters of the heart, social standing carries no meaning."

Noah stared at her for a moment. "That is a refreshingly innocent opinion." He said finally, and she quirked an eyebrow.

"Do you find me naive, Noah?"

"A little," he admitted. "But it is nothing more than I expected. Less, I believe."

Rachel blinked, surprised. "Do I exasperate you?" She asked curiously, and he had a feeling that she had been called that many times before.

"No. You fascinate me." He told her honestly, and right then, the sprinklers shut off. Rachel made her excuses quickly, and thanked him for keeping her company. He remarked that he hadn't had much of a choice, which made her laugh. He finished by thanking her as well, and telling her that if she ever wished to speak to him again, all she had to do was walk through the gardens. She smiled back at him, cocking her head to the side slightly, and he realized that she was honestly weighing his offer. "I think I'd like that. I'll find you." Rachel told him, and then left, picking up her shoes with one hand and lifting her skirts with the other, running back to the main house, barefoot.

Noah caught himself smiling after her, then headed back to work, the sunshine drying his clothes quickly. He was surprised by this girl who believed so openly and honestly in love. He'd never had a mind for it, not after what had happened with Miss Quinn Fabray last year. Noah's eyes darkened and his movements became a bit angry and jerky as he thought of the blonde. He had been so in love with her...but to her, it had been just a game. He had merely been a way to pass the time. Noah pushed the thoughts away quickly before the whole situation returned to his mind, not wanting to relive it. He had sworn away from upper class women after that. He wouldn't go near them, and Santana had understood. He had been angry when she would speak of Rachel, as he was convinced all woman of that standing were the same. He had told Santana not to rely on Rachel, not to trust her.

"She will only be there when it's good for her, San, and then you'll be left in the cold without a job when she's done with you." He had told her when she mentioned that she had been developing a friendship with the young Jewish girl. Sighing angrily, Santana had turned around and snapped at him. "She's not Quinn, Puck!"

As Noah went back to work, weeding some chrysanthemums, he thought more about Rachel, about how honest and open she had been with him. She had no reason to do so, but when he mentioned Santana and Finn, she had trusted him instantly. It was almost...unnerving, especially since he was brought up under the assumption that he could trust no one except his family, and Santana. But the Spanish girl had been right: Rachel was not Quinn, not in the slightest. Noah suddenly realized that he was whistling happily, and he found himself looking forward to the next time they would get a chance to talk. He hoped that she really would take him up on the offer, and come find him later this week. She really did fascinate him.

Rachel berated Santana for her deception the entire time the Spanish girl helped her into dry clothing, thankful that her father was out so he wouldn't see the state her dress was in. Santana, however, wouldn't stop interrupting Rachel's tirade.

"Yes, okay, fine, Rachel, I shouldn't have done that, but what did you think of him?" Santana asked, almost whining. She was desperate for information, because she and Finn had only been able to see Noah and Rachel, not hear them. And Santana hadn't seen Noah look that happy in a long time. She was dying to know what Rachel thought of him.

Rachel couldn't help but smile. "He is a very nice man with impeccable charm." She said simply, refusing to divulge any other information. That, however, told Santana all she needed to know. The blush on Rachel's cheeks and the sparkle in her eyes also told Santana that maybe she should up her game.

If Rachel was this excited and flustered already, something told the Spanish girl that friendship wasn't the best option for Noah and Rachel. She knew how Noah felt about upper class women, but Rachel was different. Hopefully he would be able to see that. Santana was going to open his eyes, but she needed Finn's help. Making up her mind, she finished helping Rachel change a little distractedly, then moved downstairs to go fetch some food. Rachel stopped her on her way out, touching the taller girl's hand lightly.

"What you did today was wrong, Santana." Rachel said softly. "But, be that as it may, it was beneficial to all parties involved, I believe. So thank you, San."

Santana blinked, then smiled at her friend, nodding a little before leaving. Oh yeah, she totally had this one under control. All she needed to do was keep pushing them together and get Finn to help her. Rachel and Noah wouldn't stand a chance.

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo,

Meyx


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Alright, this one takes place two weeks after the last chapter, so please keep that in mind as you read. I was having some trouble with the last part, when someone new comes in. You'll know it when you see it. So hopefully I didn't screw it all up too badly! Please let me know what you thought of this chapter! :D

**Nosside: **Thank you so much! Santana's got quite a bit up her sleeve, not so much in this chapter, but she _definitely_ intervenes in the next. I think you'll like it :)

**alinah100:** There is definitely some Puckleberry evolving! It's moving faster than Noah and Rachel expected, so I hope you enjoy that.

**LastToFirst:** Thank you so much! The details of what occurred between Noah and Quinn will be gradual, and it'll take him a while to let his guard down enough to talk to Rachel about it, but when it happens...you'll love it. And as for the rival idea...well, I'll just let you read this chapter ;D

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Noah was in the middle of trimming a hedge when Sarah snuck up on him. She ran across the lawn with the light and easy stride of a five year old on a mission. He was whistling, trimming the hedge without a thought to anything else, completely absorbed in his work. Then, all of a sudden, Sarah was shouting his name loudly from right behind him. Noah jumped and started to swear, catching himself at the last second and playing it off as some ungodly noise that made Sarah laugh hysterically.

"I scared you!" She said triumphantly, and Noah nodded, thanking God that he hadn't clamped down on the clippers and messed up the hedge he'd been working on.

"You did," he admitted, dropping the shears onto the ground and turning to squat down so they were at eye level, smiling at her. "You know, not many people can scare me, Sarah." He told her with a grin. "You should be very proud of yourself."

"I am!" Sarah laughed, and then she reached out and touched his arm firmly. "Tag, you're it!" She yelled, taking off running.

Noah shook his head and chuckled, looking around to make sure the head gardener wasn't nearby. Satisfied that his boss wasn't watching him slack off, Noah headed after the little girl, running to her and grabbing her, swinging her up into the air and catching her before setting her back down. "You're it, Sarah!" He said teasingly, moving away from her.

They played tag for a while, then Sarah got bored and wanted to play hide and seek. Noah obliged, and counted out loud to 30 before going to find her. He cheated very obviously to make her squeal with indignant laughter, putting her hands on her hips and berating him. She looked like her older sister when she did that, and it made Noah smile.

He was in the middle of hiding from her for the third time when Rachel found him. "Noah?" She asked, confused, as he ducked behind a bush. He grabbed her hand and pulled her down with him, almost knocking her over. Rachel adjusted her weight quickly and then glared at him, still confused. "Why are we hiding?" She whispered.

Noah fought back laughter, thankful that she was keeping her voice down, as his hiding spot was obvious and Sarah didn't need anymore help finding him. But before he could answer, Sarah came walking past, calling out his nickname and saying she was going to find him soon. Noah held a finger to his lips and looked at Rachel, who nodded, smiling. They squatted behind the bush silently, and Rachel was very aware of the fact that his hand was still around her wrist. His thumb moved absently across her wrist and Rachel turned towards him. Noah turned and looked at her as well, their eyes meeting and locking. They couldn't look away for a second, and slowly, Noah stilled his movements. Rachel's lips parted and she started to whisper something, but before any sound could get out, Sarah's head poked over the top of the hedge they were behind.

"Found you!" She yelled happily. Then she frowned. "Rach? What are you doing here?" She asked, and Rachel laughed.

Noah let go of her wrist quickly and the two of them stood up, making their way out of the hedge quickly. "I was looking for you, sweetheart." Rachel told her little sister, bending down to hug her tightly and kiss her cheek. "Daddy's wondering where you ran off to."

"Oh, Papa can wait." Sarah said flippantly. "I was playing hide and seek with Puck!"

Rachel giggled, looking back at Noah before turning to her sister again. "I can see that. But you need to get back inside now, okay, Sarah?" Rachel asked, smoothing her sister's dress and plucking a leaf from her hair affectionately.

Sarah grumbled but did as she was asked, waving goodbye to Noah and Rachel before running to the house. Rachel straightened up and brushed some dirt off the skirt of her dress, smiling fondly at the little girl. She turned back to Noah after a moment, still smiling.

"I see you've met my sister." Rachel said, fighting back a laugh.

"Sarah's been beating me at tag for months now, Rachel." Noah said with a grin, moving back to the hedge he had been working on. Rachel followed him and moved among the rows of plants, plucking flowers here and there. It had been two weeks since what Rachel was now calling "The Gazebo Incident", and they had been talking to one another every day since. After about three days, they had settled into a rhythm. Noah would work on whatever section of the garden needed work that day and Rachel would sit in the grass with a bunch of flowers and weave a daisy chain. They would talk while they worked until Noah had to move on and Rachel had to go back inside for her singing lessons.

Rachel finished plucking the flowers she wanted and sat down gracefully in the grass, arranging her dress around her out of habit before setting to work on her flowers.

"What color today?" Noah asked conversationally, snipping at the hedge.

Rachel smiled, reaching for his tools before stopping herself. "May I?" She asked, and Noah rolled his eyes. "Rachel." He said, looking at her over his shoulder.

It was a common occurrence, but it never ceased to remind him of the differences between them. He had told her more times than he could count that she didn't need to ask to use one of his tools, but Rachel just brushed him off and politely asked each time.

Sighing, Rachel raised an eyebrow at him and he raised one back. She giggled at his expression, her laughter as free and unrestrained as ever, and plucked the smallest knife out of the box with delicate fingers. She used it to slit open the stem of the daisy she was holding, going back to work quickly.

"What color today?" He asked again, going back to the hedge he was trimming.

"Pink," Rachel said, smiling to herself as she continued. "It's your sister's favorite, isn't it?"

Noah blinked, surprised that she had remembered. "Yes, it is." He said, glancing back at her as she tucked a curling strand of hair behind her ear. Rachel's hair was loose and curling, and with her dress spread out about her and flowers strewn on the fabric, she looked like a princess from one of the fairy tale books his mother read to Abigail before she went to bed.

"I hope she likes it." Rachel said idly, looping the daisies together with swift motions. She was getting a lot better than she had been when they first started these little chats. "Fairy crowns are a little harder than the chains, but she can wear it like a princess."

Noah smiled, watching Rachel work and listening to her continue to ramble about whether or not his sister would like the crown she was weaving out of daises. "She will love it, Rachel. Thank you." He said simply, watching her features light up with an innocently genuine smile. He turned back around quickly, snipping more branches and steering the conversation away from his family. Noah had been getting dangerously close to thinking about bring Abigail with him the next day to meet Sarah and Rachel. He knew that Sarah and Abigail would get along and could play, and that Rachel would adore his little sister. But Noah didn't want to think about that. There was no way he'd introduce his sister to Rachel. He wasn't going to get attached. They were friends. That's it. She was just someone to pass the time with for an hour or so every day.

So when Rachel mentioned that she would be attending the coming out party of her friend Tina Cohen-Chang, he didn't think anything of it. She spoke about how her father was hoping that she would be able to find at least one potential suitor, as the last one - Finn - clearly didn't work out the way things were supposed to. Noah snorted a little, but didn't comment. He wasn't jealous. Not at all. Not of those prigs who would be dancing with Rachel and trying to charm her. He glared a little and snipped a branch harder than strictly necessary before reminding himself that he wasn't jealous. Rachel finished the daisy chain, woven so tightly that there was no space between each flower, and admired her handiwork.

"I think that Daddy will be disappointed." She confided finally. Her voice was soft and Noah perked up his ears. They had a rule with one another that Rachel was not allowed to censor herself. He made it clear to her that she could speak her mind with him without fear of judgement or chastisement, and Rachel had been growing more and more comfortable with that each day. He could tell by her tone of voice that this was one of those moments, and he needed to be careful here. "Why?" He asked slowly.

He was surprised that he felt the need to be careful, that he was taking so much time to get close to her and let her into his life. He was surprised that he was grateful to be a part of hers. Before he could dwell on that, though, Rachel spoke again, and Noah turned to sit on his ladder, watching her and listening.

"I just think that the suitors won't be...interested. Not in the likes of me." Rachel said with a shrug, her eyes downcast. "My father is influential but not the same way as many other men, and I..." Rachel hesitated, biting her lip.

"You're what, Rachel?" He asked softly, furrowing his brows.

Rachel laughed humorlessly, her voice soft. "Well, just look at me, Noah. I am...nothing special. Not to them." She said, standing up and handing him his knife, then the crown for his sister. "I will see you tomorrow?"

She didn't wait for a reply, merely walked back to the house, leaving him sitting there. That was the first time Noah had ever heard her say anything about herself that led him to believe she was insecure. It was also the first time he'd ever heard her say anything bad about her social class. It wouldn't be the last.

"Rachel..." Santana said, arranging the smaller girl's hair. "I don't know about this."

Rachel rolled her eyes, forgetting for a moment that she wasn't supposed to do that. It wasn't ladylike or proper, and her grandmother would have told her as such, had she been outside of her room. "It is a coming out party, San. I have to be there; Tina is my friend." Rachel hesitated, dabbing a bit of color on her lips. "Besides...Grandmother's right. I need to start thinking about a husband. You and Finn will be married before the end of the year, Santana, don't argue that. It's true." Rachel stared at her friend in the mirror.

Santana blinked, wondering where this had come from. Rachel's grandmother and her father must have talked to her. She swore mentally, cursing Rachel's family for their meddling. Her plan was going to need to be adjusted now.

"It isn't like I have my pick of the gentlemen, Santana, look at me. I need this." Rachel said, her eyes flicking back to Santana's in the mirror. "Do you know how mortifying it is to be 17 years old and not be engaged yet? I do not even have any prospects right now. My last suitor dropped his intentions towards me to pursue my maid. You know how happy I am for you and Finn, Santana, really, but do you honestly think I don't hear what people say about me when they think I am not listening?" Rachel blinked against sudden tears, her voice desperate. "I can assure you, San, that I want to be married about as much as a chicken wants to be fattened up and killed for dinner. My life will be over when I marry, if I don't wed someone who understands me, someone who is...like my father." Rachel sighed, biting her lip. "But I...I'm running out of time, Santana. This is my best option right now."

Santana stared at her employer and best friend with eyes full of sympathy. "Rachel..." She murmured, but Rachel shook her head, shrugging off Santana's hands.

"I have to go. Daddy's waiting for me." She said, standing up and heading for the door. Rachel was halfway down the stairs, adjusting her elbow length silk gloves, when she was stopped by Sarah.

"Sarah, darling, not right now, I-" Rachel started, then stopped when Sarah handed her a small bouquet of flowers.

"Puck told me to give these to you, Rach. You look like a princess. Is Puck going to be your prince tonight?" Sarah asked with all the wonder of a five year old as she looked at Rachel's elegant dress and jewels.

"No, Sarah...He won't be there tonight." Rachel said distractedly, staring at her sister and the bouquet curiously. "Did he say that?"

Sarah shook her head. "No, I just wondered." She told her sister, kissing her cheek quickly before going back upstairs.

Rachel stared at the flowers, aware that Santana was standing at the upstairs landing, and her father was waiting for her in the foyer. The bouquet was small, only seven or eight flowers, and tied with a bit of string. "Red daises..." Rachel murmured aloud. "And a bellflower." She blinked. Red daises meant 'beauty unknown to the possessor' and bellfowers meant 'thinking of you.' She couldn't imagine that Noah didn't know that; he was the gardener, and as such, he needed to be well versed in the language of flowers. Rachel studied the bouquet, confused. _'What did he...?'_ She wondered, and then blinked when he father called her name.

"I will be there in but a moment, Daddy!" She called back, hurrying to Santana and handing her the bouquet. "Put these in the vase next to my desk. Dump the cala lilies. Put them in Sarah's room, if she wants them. I have to leave. Thank you, Santana. I will see you in a few hours."

Rachel hurried back downstairs and out the door, and Santana stared at the flowers in her hand, blinking. She did as Rachel had asked, going down to the kitchen to get something to eat. As she ate her dinner, Santana marveled at how easily Noah had been able to see what Rachel needed and wanted to hear from someone. Not only that, but he had acted on it, which was unusual for Noah, to say the least.

Maybe Santana wouldn't need to get as involved as she thought she would. With that happy thought forefront on her mind, she finished her dinner and settled into a card game with some of the other maids, waiting for Rachel to come home.

Rachel sat down at the table, glancing around the room as she did. After a quick glance at her dance card - which was startlingly empty for a girl of her rank and age - she reached for her glass, taking a quick sip. She watched her friends dance and laugh, trying not to sigh. She knew the next dance was a waltz, and that she didn't have a partner for that one, either. For a girl who longed to be in the spotlight, being pushed out was mortifying. Rachel scanned the room, her eyes lighting upon Finn, who was dancing across the room with Brittany Pierce, a young woman their age. He caught Rachel's eye and gave her a sympathetic smile, which she returned with a tilt of her glass, as if in salute.

She was about to take another sip when a young man took the seat next to her, angling it so he could face her. Rachel raised an eyebrow at him, confused as to what he was doing. He looked a few years older than her, nothing major, and he was very good looking. He had wavy hair that was almost curly, blue gray eyes, and a pleasant smile. He had a look of confidence about him, and the way he carried himself spoke volumes about his social standing.

"Miss Berry." He said, bowing slightly in his seat. His voice was soft, and had an almost musical quality to it. Rachel idly wondered if he could sing, then she realized he was still talking to her. "I'm Mr. Jesse St. James." He said, holding out his hand, palm up.

Rachel placed her hand in his, watching him as he kissed the back of her hand through the silk of her glove. "Lovely to meet you." She murmured demurely.

"The pleasure is all mine, Miss Berry." He replied. Rachel blushed lightly, her lips curving into a smile. "Do you have a partner for the next dance?" He asked conversationally, and Rachel shook her head.

"No, my dance card is rather...lacking, tonight." She informed him, and he smiled.

"Well, I believe I shall have to remedy that, then, Miss Berry. A young woman as beautiful as you, if I may be so forward, should never be alone during a waltz."

He stood up fluidly, bowing again, and offered her his hand once more. Rachel glanced from him to his hand, and then took it, allowing herself to be swept out to the dance floor as the music started.

He was charming, she'd give him that. He'd made her laugh more than once, and a blushing smile had been her default expression all night. Finn had come to dance with her near the end of the night, having made sure he was on her dance card early in the evening. When he saw the look on Rachel's face, he frowned, confused.

"Who is that?" He asked, twirling Rachel and nodding at Jesse. Rachel followed his gaze as she completed the spin effortlessly, making sure to go slowly for Finn's poor dancing skills.

"His name is Mr. Jesse St. James." She murmured, leading the dance. Rachel knew how comical they must look: the tiny brunette girl leading the tall and broad male, but she didn't care. Finn couldn't dance well, and Rachel refused to let that stop her from dancing to the best of her ability.

"St. James...why does that name sound familiar?" Finn wondered aloud, stumbling a little on Rachel's dress. "Sorry, Rach."

"It's quite alright, Finn." She said with a smile, and changed the subject quickly. "How are things going with your parents...do they know of your intention to court Santana?"

Finn smiled broadly. "Yeah, yeah, they do. I spoke with them about it last night. I'm going to speak with her family in two days."

Rachel had to bite back a laugh of pure joy. "Finn, that's wonderful!" She said, fighting to keep her voice down. "I'm so happy for you!"

The dance finished all too quickly, and before Rachel knew it, she was in the arms of Jesse St. James again, and he was twirling her to the fast pace of the new song.

"Mr. St. James, this is highly improper!" She protested, fighting a smile as he continued to dance with her. "I am supposed to dance with Mr. Rutherford for this dance."

Jesse smirked at the way she protested, yet fell into step easily with him. "My apologies to Mister Rutherford." He told her smoothly.

Rachel shook her head, smiling again, and let him pull her a little closer when a couple stepped on the hem of her dress. It was improper, and she told him as such, to have his hand on her hip like that instead of her waist. He moved his hand to her lower back, and Rachel laughed softly, trying not to attract attention. "That's not much better, you know." She told him, and he grinned cheekily, looking like a little boy who was all too proud of himself.

"Ah, but it is a little better, and that is what matters." He told her mischievously, and then spun her around again before she could answer.

Rachel was being swept off of her feet, and she knew it. But she was enjoying herself immensely, and she hadn't been able to do that in such a public setting, recently, so she just shrugged off any misgivings she was feeling. Finn, meanwhile, was watching them with a confused expression on his face. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. Jesse was smiling at Rachel, but when the brunette girl wasn't paying attention, the smile disappeared off of his face, and he glanced around the room almost darkly. Finn blinked. _'Something's not right here. Something's wrong and I need to tell Santana...this won't end well.' _He thought to himself, thanking God when the night ended and everyone trickled out of the Cohen-Chang household.

Then Jesse approached Mr. Berry, and Finn blinked again. A few of Noah's choice swear words leapt unbidden into Finn's mind, and he jumped up, getting his coat and moving to his mother. Mrs. Hudson saw the look on his face, confusion and anger in a dangerous mix, and quickly made excuses to the woman she was talking to. She asked Finn what was wrong as they made their way out, but Finn just shook his head, muttering something about 'adjusting the plan.'

"I need to talk to Santana." He said once they were in the car. "If you or Dad need me for any business transactions in the morning, they can be pushed into the afternoon. This is important."

His mother blinked and nodded, and Finn ran a hand through his hair, looking at his feet. There was no way that this Jesse St. James kid could swoop in and ruin what he and Santana had been working for. Noah needed Rachel, and Rachel needed Noah. It didn't matter if the two of them couldn't see it yet; it was clear to Finn and Santana from the way the two Jewish teenagers looked at one another. This needed to be stopped.

Finn sat back in his seat as they made the journey home, wondering again to himself why the name St. James sounded so familiar.

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**As always, thank you for reading! Please review, let me know what you thought and how I'm doing!**

**xoxo,**

**Meyx**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **Thank you all so much for your increased support of this story. I can't tell you how much it means to me. I really hope this next chapter doesn't disappoint you all! And, for the first time, I have a musical recommendation for you all when reading this! The Jesse and Rachel scene was inspired by their "Hello" duet, so, naturally, I listened to that while writing it. It's a beautiful song for the scene, and then for the Puck and Rachel scene, the second half of this, I _highly_ recommend "She is the Sunlight", by Trading Yesterday. It fits the scene perfectly, I think.

**Jsct: **Thank you so much! I'm doing my best!

**PUCKLEBERRYfan:** You'll see, soon enough. It'll come into play later, and when it does, it'll be worth the wait. And again, you'll see ;D

**Nosside:** *Shrugs* I'm a cliche, what do you expect? :D There's a tad more to it than that, though. I'm so so glad you liked Finn's reaction. I agonized over that. I can't write Finn to save my life, so thank you. And thank you so much for your kind review, lovely :)

**alinah100: **Stay tuned and find out!

**OminousDinosaur: **Thank you so much!

**LastToFirst:** Thank you! Rachel's really struggling with herself now and I can assure you that Noah will do his best to help her the best ways he knows how, as clearly shown in this chapter ;D

**Illusion's Dagger: **Thanks, Ellie :)

Without further ado, here's the latest chapter. I hope you all enjoy!

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"Finn?" Santana asked, shocked, letting the brunette male into the Berry household's kitchen. "What are you doing here? You aren't supposed to be coming in here, this is where I _work_, and you're part of the upper cl-" She said, and Finn sighed, cutting her off by taking her hand.

"You've been around Rachel too much, Santana." He said with a half smile, and Santana rolled her eyes.

"What are you doing here?" She asked him bluntly, her tone gentle but her words direct. Santana was never one to mince words, and Finn smiled at her again, appreciating her forthrightness.

"I need to talk to you." He told her seriously, his smile disappearing. He backtracked quickly when she looked at him with a flash of fear in her eyes. "It's nothing bad, Santana. At least...not about us...I think...damn it." He said, shaking his head. "This isn't how I wanted to tell you..."

Santana blinked. "Finn, just tell me." She said, squeezing his hand.

Finn hesitated, then pulled her towards the door, opening it quickly. "Take a walk with me, please." He said, his eyes pleading. "Rachel can wait ten minutes. This concerns her, 'Tana." He said softly. The second his special nickname for her, the one he only used in private, left his lips, Santana melted.

"Alright." She said, following him out and lacing her fingers through his. "But no more than ten minutes, Finn. What's wrong?"

They were halfway through the gardens when Finn finally spoke. He made sure Santana was sitting comfortably on a bench and fussed over her for a full minute before she swatted him away and asked him again.

"...We have a problem." He said, and Santana's heart dropped.

OoOoO

"Who _is_ he?" Santana asked Rachel in a hissing whisper. She was lacing up Rachel's corset, and the tiny brunette was struggling to answer and control her breathing at the same time.

"Mr. Jesse St. James," she gasped, her hand flying to her heart as she took deep breaths. Santana tied off the laces, and Rachel stood up straight, smoothing her hands over her corset. "He lives with his uncle...his parents died young."

Santana rolled her eyes at the sympathetic tone in Rachel's voice. The girl had sympathy for everyone, and she trusted easily. Santana was fiercely protective of her, and this new man who was sweeping into Rachel's life worried the Spanish girl. If Finn said there was something off about him, there was something wrong going on. Finn's instincts were never wrong.

"What does he _want_?" Santana asked brusquely as she laced up Rachel's dress for her. Her friend and employer stiffened, and Santana realized instantly that she had said the wrong thing.

"Is it so hard to believe that someone wants to court me? Is it so hard to believe that someone wants to be around me without an ulterior motive? I'm allowed to have friends other than you, Finn, and Noah." Rachel said angrily, and Santana didn't have time to get excited over the fact that Rachel and Puck were good friends.

Rachel moved away from Santana irritably. "I no longer require your services, Santana. I can dress myself just fine now. You are dismissed for the rest of the day." She said stiffly, tying off the laces on the side of her dress easily.

Santana started to argue. "Rachel, that's not what I meant..." She said, reaching for her friend's arm.

"Go visit Finn, Santana." Rachel said, moving away again and sitting in front of the mirror to fix her hair. "I will see you in the morning." Her tone was icy, and she refused to look at her friend as she pinned her hair up, leaving a few curls loose around her face.

Santana bit her lip, nodding once and sighing softly before leaving. She hadn't meant to upset Rachel, she was just irritated. And knowing her best friend thought that she had meant to be malicious did nothing to improve the Spanish girl's mood. She took Rachel's advice and made straight for the Hudson residence, stopping only once, in the Berry's kitchen. She changed out of her apron and into a slightly nicer dress, pulling the pins out of her hair quickly. Once that was done, Santana headed to Finn's house quickly, shaking her head and cursing herself and her stupidity. Now Rachel would be speaking to that damn St. James gentleman without Santana there to make sure nothing bad happened. This was bad.

OoOoO

"Mr. Berry, Miss Berry, Mr. St James is here." The maid said to Rachel and her father. Daniel Berry glanced at his daughter, who was sitting was a serious expression. He sighed, straightening his jacket, and nodded once at the maid.

"Send him in, Marie." He said, and the maid curtsied, leaving the room quickly. "Rachel, honey, _smile_." Daniel said, looking at his daughter. "What happened?"

Rachel shook her head, knowing she couldn't get anything past her father, and bit her lip for a moment. "Nothing, Daddy. Just a disagreement." She murmured, brushing some invisible lint off of her dress' skirt.

Daniel looked ready to ask her again, when the door opened and Jesse St. James walked in. The younger man extended his hand, and Daniel shook it quickly. They exchanged pleasantries, and then Rachel extended her own hand to Jesse. He brushed his lips across the back of her knuckles, and Rachel blushed, looking down.

"Mr. St. James...it is a pleasure to meet with you once again." She said demurely, as custom dictated.

"The pleasure is all mine, Miss Berry." He replied smoothly, and took the seat that the maid was offering.

The conversation flowed smoothly between the three, and it was clear that Daniel was impressed with the young man in front of him. Rachel learned that Jesse was 20, and that he was - for his young age - a rather successful entrepreneur. He had taken his parents' wealth and nearly doubled it through some business investment that he explained to Daniel. Rachel didn't quite understand it, but something about it seemed off. She frowned, trying to puzzle out a few things in her head, when a question was directed at her. She promptly forgot about it, pushing the thoughts from her mind as she answered.

Jesse's eyes brightened when Daniel mentioned that Rachel was a talented singer. Rachel blushed slightly, but didn't deny it, which made both men raise an eyebrow. It was bad manners and rather impolite to not be humble, but it made Jesse smirk at the tiny brunette in front of him. It was clear he was impressed with her obvious knowledge and recognition of her talent. "Would you mind?" He asked suddenly, gesturing towards the harpsichord in the corner of the room.

"You play?" Rachel asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Among other things." Jesse replied, inclining his head and smiling at her. "May I?" He asked, turning to Daniel.

Daniel nodded, looking at his daughter for a long moment. "Rachel?" She nodded, standing up with Jesse, and made her way to the harpsichord, pulling out the seat for Jesse.

Jesse sat down, motioning for her to join her on the bench, but she shook her head, murmuring something about impropriety. Jesse shook his head slightly, chuckling out a laugh, and looked at her again.

They decided on a song quickly, and Jesse began to play, his fingers dancing lightly on the ivory keys. Rachel watched him with a captivated expression. Then he began to sing, and it took all Rachel's self control not to let her jaw drop. He was amazing.

He watched her as he sang, never missing a single note with his voice or his hands, and Rachel was so impressed she nearly missed her cue. When he nodded at her, though, she smiled and sang along. He blinked, one hand faltering on the keys. He missed a single note, and Rachel smirked, satisfied with his reaction. Her voice never failed to shock most people, as it was powerful, haunting, and pure.

"A big voice for such a small girl," her mother had always told her, and Rachel smiled to herself.

When they finished the song, Jesse clapped slowly, staring at her again. "Brava, Miss Berry. Brava."

Rachel blushed, inclining her head and smiling again. "Thank you, Mr. St. James." She said, and returned to her seat on the couch.

The rest of the meeting passed in a bit of a blur for Rachel, and before she knew it, it was time for Jesse to leave. He kissed her hand again before shaking her father's, and then turned to her, meeting her gaze.

"Will I see you again?" He asked softly, and Rachel smiled.

"I would love that." She replied, and Jesse grinned before regaining his composure.

"Then I will await your call with bated breath. Mr. Berry, it was a pleasure." He nodded at both of them, then left,leaving Rachel a tad stunned and Daniel grinning.

"He is quite taken with you, Rachel." Daniel told his daughter, patting her shoulder affectionately. "I wish your mother could have been here to hear the two of you sing. She would have loved it." He said suddenly, his eyes sad. "You were phenomenal, Rachel." He murmured, kissing her forehead.

Rachel closed her eyes, smiling softly and sadly. "Thank you, Daddy." She whispered back. "I...I believe I shall take a walk. I require some fresh air." Rachel informed him, taking her leave quickly and making her way into the gardens.

She hated it when her father brought up her mother, simply because she knew how much it pained him to think of her. She had died giving birth to Sarah five years ago, but the pain of her loss hadn't lessened for Daniel, who had never remarried. Rachel missed her mother terribly, and whenever Shelby was mentioned, Rachel's throat closed up and it was hard for her to breathe.

Rachel practically ran to the gazebo, gripping one of the pillars, and pressed her free hand to her chest, taking deep breaths. After a moment, she tried to regain her composure, thankful that she hadn't burst into tears.

"Rachel? Rachel, are you alright?"

Rachel turned, spinning on her heel, and inhaled sharply when she saw Noah. "Noah, you scared me." She gasped, her hand flying to her chest again.

Noah frowned, seeing the distress on her face. "What's wrong?" He asked, moving closer.

"Nothing, Noah, I am...perfectly fine." She said, moving up the steps to the gazebo to give him room to stand.

"Horse shi-" He started to say, stopping quickly and panicking slightly when he realized who he was talking to. "I mean...that's not true, Rachel, and you know it."

Rachel burst into laughter, gripping one of the pillars of the gazebo again, her other hand wrapping around her middle as she laughed. Noah shifted uncomfortably, unable to do more than smile at her laugh and hope she wasn't offended.

"That may be the first time anyone has ever been that worried about swearing around me." She said when her laughter subsided. "Even Santana's reaction wasn't that...well, let's just say Santana really could not have cared any less." Rachel said, laughing again. "She apologized, but she didn't try to shield my ears like you did."

Noah blinked, rubbing the back of his neck and looking over at her worriedly. "Is that a bad thing?"

"Not at all." Rachel said with a smile. Noah couldn't help but smile back and nod at her.

"Good. Now...are you going to tell me what was wrong?" He asked seriously. Rachel hesitated, and then realized that he honestly wanted to know. It wasn't a question to be polite; he was genuinely concerned for her.

"I met with a suitor today." She finally said, scanning the gardens as she spoke. Rachel's gaze was fixed on some flowers, and she missed the way Noah's eyes widened and his face fell for a split second before he schooled his featured back into friendly concern. "And my father spoke of my mother." Rachel continued. "I miss her very much, and I...I'm not usually fond of talking about her." She bit her lip, her back still to Noah. "It...it brings back the painful memories." She finished, wrapping her arms around her waist.

Noah nodded, understanding that. His father had left his family when he was young, and had affected him deeply. He didn't know what it was like to have your mother die young, but he did know what it was like to lose a parent.

"I understand. Would you like me to leave?" He asked, feeling sorry for her but still slightly irritated that she had met with a suitor. Noah wasn't entirely sure why it was getting under his skin, but it was, and he didn't want to take it out on her. _'Since when do you care, Puckerman?'_ He asked himself bitterly.

"No, no, not at all," Rachel said, turning back to him quickly. "I enjoy your company, Noah, and I would appreciate you staying with me, you if have the time." She said boldly, her eyes trained on the floor of the gazebo.

Noah paused, seriously considering it. "Alright." He finally said, and then walked past her to leave the gazebo. "But I have work to get done, so if you want to talk, you'll have to come with me."

Rachel shook her head, snorting softly at his rudeness, but followed him calmly, used to it by now. She lifted her skirts and stepped down from the gazebo, keeping pace with him quickly and easily, despite her heavy dress. It was much more opulent than the dresses she normally wore when she was in the gardens with him, but she hadn't thought to change before leaving the house, and it was far from the fanciest dress she owned. Once they got to the shed, Noah disappeared inside for a moment to retrieve the tools he needed while Rachel wandered the greenhouse.

When he came back out, he stopped for a moment, looking at her. "You look nice today," he told her suddenly, his voice soft.

It was far from the nicest compliment Rachel had ever received, but something about the way he said it seemed to punch her in the chest. She blushed, looking down, and thanked him softly.

"I think I prefer your hair down, though," Noah told her teasingly, nodding to the loose chignon at the base of her neck. Rachel smiled, still blushing, and brushed a few strands of hair out of her face.

"I do, as well." She told him softly, turning to leave the greenhouse with him. "But it's more proper of a young woman my age to keep her hair pinned back."

Noah rolled his eyes and Rachel smiled again, a little sadly this time. He didn't really get it, and she would always be glad for that and hate it at the same time. It was wonderful to escape the rigors of her social standing with him, but it made coming back to her reality that much harder. She bit her lip, and he blinked, worried that he had offended her in some way. After a moment of silence, he scanned the greenhouse, pulling his knife out of his tool box. Noah made his way over to some rose clippings, pulling a light pink rose from the bunch, and dethorned it with the knife quickly and expertly. Satisfied, he trimmed the stem, then made his way back to Rachel, dropping his knife back in his toolbox before standing in front of her.

"May I?" He asked, gesturing to her hair.

Rachel hesitated for a second, then nodded, looking up at him. He tucked the flower behind her ear, pulling a pin from the top of her bun and using that to pin the rose in place. "Perfect," he murmured, his gaze locking with hers.

She nodded, her mind scrambling to function with his hand still hovering next to her neck and his face just a few inches away from hers. The whole situation was entirely inappropriate, especially given the fact that she had just accepted a new suitor. But Jesse was the last thing on her mind as Noah's thumb lightly brushed along the skin underneath her ear. Rachel scrambled to remember what a light pink rose meant, knowing that he had chosen it for a reason, but her mind kept coming up blank.

Noah, meanwhile, was doing his best to list all the reasons he couldn't kiss her. His mind raced as he rattled them off in his head, but when Rachel's lips parted and she sucked in a barely audible gasp at the way his thumb grazed her skin, the reasons suddenly didn't seem so important anymore. He swore internally, biting his lip for a moment. Noah didn't miss the way Rachel's eyes went to his lips when his teeth sunk into his lower lip, and he continued to war silently with himself. He couldn't just kiss the boss' daughter, not when they had built up a friendship like this. He really liked being around Rachel, he enjoyed talking to her, and he knew Santana would kill him if he screwed this up. And, for the first time in a long time, he didn't want to screw it up.

Careful not to touch her again, Noah stared into her eyes for a long second, Rachel meeting his gaze unblinkingly. They stared at each other for a moment, and then Rachel suddenly remembered what a light pink rose meant.

_Desire._

Noah watched the realization dawn in her eyes, and he froze, ready to back away. Rachel didn't move, and when her tongue darted out to lick her lips slightly, he was lost. Any hope he had of backing off, of making sure they kept things simple and clear between them, it was all gone now. His hand gently rested against her neck, and Rachel flushed lightly at the intimate contact. Noah brushed his thumb across her skin again and Rachel swallowed heavily, looking up at him again. Her hand hesitatingly came up and touched his arm, resting lightly on the rough fabric of his shirt.

Taking that as permission, Noah bent down and closed the distance between them. Rachel's eyelids lowered at the same time as his, and then his lips brushed across hers. She gasped softly again, her lips parting, and then his mouth slanted over hers. Noah's free hand went to her lower back, pulling her in closer, and Rachel's free hand went straight to his chest. He moved his lips and she followed the motion, unsure of what to do. He realized in the back of his mind that she had never done this before, and he knew he needed to be slow and gentle. His hand on her neck moved slightly, tipping her head a bit to grant him better access, and Noah ran the tip of his tongue lightly along her lower lip.

Rachel inhaled sharply, and just as she was melting slightly against him and he was inwardly grinning like an idiot, someone knocked on the door to the greenhouse sharply.

Noah and Rachel jumped away from one another guiltily, Rachel flushing bright red and Noah swearing under his breath. The door opened and Finn walked in, smirking slightly at them in a manner so reminiscent of Santana it was almost eerie. Rachel looked away, mortified, but Noah met the taller man's gaze.

"Did you need something?" Noah asked, raising an eyebrow.

Finn gave him a half smiled, nodding slowly. "I did, actually. I came looking for Rachel. I hope I didn't...interrupt?" He asked, his tone slightly nervous but his eyes glinting with victory. _'Finally! It took them long enough. I can not wait to see the look on 'Tana's face when she hears about this.'_

Rachel blushed even harder, smoothing the skirt of her dress. "No, not at all, Finn. What did you need?"

Noah sighed, moving back to his tool box. Things had just gotten a lot more complicated with Rachel and he was _not_ excited for the backlash. Then his ears perked up when he heard Finn say Santana's name.

"...wanted me to tell you she is really sorry." Finn said quietly to Rachel while Noah strained to hear. "She feels horrible about what she said, Rach...I know she was not _trying__.._." Finn hesitated, looking for the right words.

Noah glanced at Rachel, who was now looking at the floor with hurt in her eyes. "She never should have said that, Finn. It was uncalled for. I get..." She lowered her voice, and Noah unconsciously moved closer to make out her words. "I hear enough of that from other people, Finn. The last person I need to hear it from is her."

Finn rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, sighing. "Santana didn't _mean_ it...you know she says all sorts of evil things when she gets upset."

"There was nothing for her to be upset about!" Rachel exclaimed. "All I was doing was meeting with a suitor! It is what is _expected _of me, Finn! She _cannot_ fault me for that."

Finn raised his eyebrows at the same time as Noah, both of them staring at the tiny brunette girl. Finally, Finn spoke.

"Rachel, there is something..._off_...about this man." He said slowly and softly, looking over at Noah as if to make sure he was listening. "It...it does not sit will with me. I d..." He hesitated. "I don't think you should trust him."

Noah blinked, looking from Finn to Rachel. This was interesting...his protective side was flaring up at Finn's words, but the part of him that was trying to remain detached wanted to see where this would go.

"I don't." Rachel said without hesitation. "But I don't _know_ him, Finn, and I need to have that chance to learn who he is. You know as well as I do the pressure on me right now."

Her tone was desperate, and Finn had the decency to look ashamed. "Rachel..." He said, shaking his head and reaching for her.

She shook her head, pulling away quickly and glancing back at Noah. "I...I am sorry." She said to both men. "But I have to go." Without another word, Rachel lifted her skirts and ran from the greenhouse. She pushed the door open and took off across the grass. Finn didn't even try to follow her, and Noah just stared, confused and stunned.

"What the hell was that about?" He finally asked Finn.

Finn rubbed the back of his neck, looking down. "Santana said something to Rachel this morning..." He sighed angrily, kicking the ground suddenly. "You have time? I need to start at the beginning."

Noah nodded slowly, touching his lips before picking up his tool box. "If it concerns her? Yeah, I have time."

OoOoO

Finn sat on the spare ladder while Noah worked, talking to his friend about what happened. He started with the coming out affair, telling Noah how Rachel had danced with Jesse.

"There...there's something not _right_ about him, Puck." Finn said, frustrated. "I can't quite put my finger on it, but there is something just..._wrong_ with what he's doing."

Noah clenched his jaw, jabbing his shovel into the dirt and glowering at the flower bed he was digging in. He grunted an affirmative, not really knowing how to reply. Finn just continued talking, explaining that he had told Santana about his misgivings.

"Well...she spoke to Rachel this morning and they...exchanged words." He said, flushing slightly, as if ashamed. "Santana said something that Rachel...well...Rachel took it to mean that Santana was implying that men are only interested in Rach if they want something."

Noah dropped the shovel, blinking and looking at Finn, a glare forming on his face. "That is a new low, even for San." He said angrily, starting in on a tirade. Finn cut him off with an upraised hand, shaking his head.

"She didn't mean it. Santana meant something else, but the way it came out...and you know how insecure Rachel is..." He said, shrugging lightly and sadly. "It...the whole situation is just one big misunderstanding." Finn shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "And I...I don't know, Puck...I'm worried about this."

Noah shook his head, still frustrated. "I don't understand _why_ though. I mean...she is _beautiful_. There is absolutely no reason as to why she should ever feel inferior to anyone. If anything, _they _should feel inferior to _her_." He muttered darkly, the words leaving his mouth before he even registered he even said them.

Finn looked over at him, smiling slowly. "Puck...you're in love with Rachel...aren't you?" He asked softly.

Noah shook his head again, glaring darkly at Finn and picking up his shovel again. "No, Finn. I am not in love with her. You know I stay away from her kind. They're...nothing but trouble." He said bitterly, thinking about the mess that happened the year before.

It wasn't often that Noah allowed his mind to drift to Quinn, but the longer he was around Rachel, the more he seemed to remember the blonde. Not out of any desire for her, no, that had faded a long time ago. It was more as if his subconsciousness was reminding him that Rachel was nothing like the Fabray's youngest daughter. They were as different as night and day, and though he tried to remember that, Noah couldn't deny that what Quinn had done to him had damaged the way he viewed the upper class.

"You stay away from them?" Finn asked, amused. "Is that why you were kissing her?"

Noah glared at Finn, pushing him lightly. "Shut up." He said seriously. Finn rolled his eyes and shook his head, trying not to laugh, and stood up. He brushed off his jacket, still grinning at Noah.

"Believe what you want to believe, Puck," he said, and then left, making his way to the main house and then into the street, heading home. Noah watched his friend go, still upset and frustrated, and then sighed. There was no way he was falling in love with Rachel. He wasn't going to let that happen. He didn't need to complicate things anymore. There was no way she'd fall in love with someone like him, and he didn't need to get hurt again.

* * *

**A/N: **Thank you all for reading! Please review!

**Up next: **Santana apologizes to Rachel, Noah meets Jesse, and Finn realizes something big.


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